English Language Learners Case Study

In this article, the authors examine the challenges of working with English Language learners with learning disabilities. The article begins with a dilemma that many educators face daily, being able to meet the needs of all students in a classroom. The article identifies the characteristics of LD students, issues ELL students face learning a second language and the cultural context for teaching and learning. The next part of the article offers a framework that addresses the educational needs of students based on their language, disability and culture. It focuses on how general and special educators along with the ELL teacher can effectively collaborate together to meet the needs of all learners.

As our nation shifts towards a more culturally diverse population both educators and families have to find a common ground to ensure that English Language Learners are academically successful. All stakeholders must carefully consider the social cultural impact on an ELL education. The process of raising bilingual learners take more than a language a school and a language learned at home. The transition must have a purpose and a goal.

The primary goal of any school district’s English Language Learner policy should be to ensure that all students receive equitable access to the curriculum. The Office of Civil Rights memorandum (May 25, 1970) requires school districts to take affirmative steps to provide equal access to instructional program for students with limited English proficiency. The Illinois Constitution guarantees every child from kindergarten through grade 12, access to a free public education; which means, regardless of a child’s home language, he/she deserves a free and appropriate education (Illinois State Board of Education, 1998).

I propose to you a case study on a pre-kindergarten English language learning student through qualitative research. My goal was to find out if he faces any problems with regards to his behavior, academic progress and attitudes towards his teachers, classmates and parents. His name is David and just recently came to the United States from Russia about two years ago. He has a complicated time understanding what goes on in his environment because of the language barrier. The one positive aspect for David is that my assistant in the class is Russian as well. Even though he has a hardship speaking the English language and understanding his peers, my assistant helps translate words from Russian to English for him and vice versa.

When it comes to students that have not officially mastered the English Language, schools should give students the opportunity to learn it. Schools are supposed to arrange services for students who are not familiar with the English Language. All students should be treated with the same respect and all students should receive some type of education no matter what their background comes from. English is a language that is very popular today in this world. When it comes to legal obligations for students that are English language learners, every student is supposed to have equal access to their education. It was mentioned that in the year of 1970 the Federal Office for Civil Rights, distributed a letter to all school’s districts mentioning that

Florida is a state composed of diverse cultures and languages. Prior to 1990 there were not any modifications or accommodations in the classroom for English Language Learners (ELL), which had become an increasing issue. During this decade Florida was the third largest state with residents that were not native-born. Historically, Florida has become the home for many individuals who migrated from Central and Latin America (MacDonald, 2004). According to the Consent Decree (n.d.), the Florida English speakers of other languages (ESOL) Consent Decree was a result of the case, LULAC et. al v. State Board of Education, August 14, 1990. This case addresses the civil rights of English Language Learners (ELLs). The plaintiffs in this case were LULAC and Multicultural Education, Training and Advocacy (META) and the defendant were Florida Board of Education. LULAC and META came together to bring justice to students whose native language was not English. The plaintiffs’ sought to implement policies to protect students whose native language was not English in order to create an equal learning environment. For example, English was the only means of communication in the classrooms and students who did not speak or understand the language would find themselves at a disadvantage. Due to the lack of modifications in place, students would eventually fall through the cracks of the school system. This case brought

This paper will be focusing on two articles that deal with Ell children as well as the policies and programs available for ell children. The two articles that will be discussed are Starting Early with English Language Leaners by Maggie Severns and Chapter Two from Menken, K. and García O. Book Appropriating Language Policy on the Local Level by David Cassels Johnson and Rebecca Freeman. These two articles provide us two different views on ELL services in two major cities in the United States which are Chicago and Philadelphia. Although these two articles discuss two different cities we are shown some of the similar views and struggles that they have with ell programs and policies. Therefore, this paper will explore the struggles of these ell programs as well as the policies and strategy of each city.

In this internship activity, I first researched Chapter 89 the Adaptations for Special Populations, Subchapter BB. I reviewed the policies as required in the Texas Education Code, Chapter 29, Subchapter B that ensures equal educational opportunities for every student in the state who has a home language other than English and who is identified as an English language learner. It is important to know the requirements and competencies for this program. I also became aware of the exceptions and waivers a district must submit a waiver for if it is unable to provide and bilingual education or English as a second language program. Once understanding the criteria and program design, I attended and observed an Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) meeting where each student’s level of proficiency as discussed and educational goals were put in place for each student to master English language skills across all content areas.

When it comes to legal obligations for students that are English language learners, every student violated supposed to have equal access to their education. It was mentioned that in the year of 1970 the federal Office for Civil Rights, distributed a letter to all school’s districts mentioning that all school districts must offer services to students who are English language learners (Office for Civil Rights ,2006). After the ruling of Lau v. Nichols was pass, the congress passed an act called Equal Educational Opportunity Act (EEOA). The act is based upon that all children must have equivalent educational opportunities. This is important for the reason that each student should be treated equal and it does not matter if they are familiar with the English language. Every student should have the right to a proper education and nobody should be discriminated upon.

“Following the Immigration Act of 1965, legislation was passed to contribute the public schools in dealing with the influx of non-English-speaking students. Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 supported programs for educating these students, including transitional bilingual education programs” (Echevarria and Graves 2011, p.350). This Act did not fully articulate how to go about educating these students, so an unclear message was received or not received in whether there was going to be a process of their first languages or a complete transition to English. “The outcome was that most ELs were consigned in English-only classrooms without suitable

Particularly, it has been thought to be the beginning of a revolutionary time when historically marginalized populations demanded for equitable treatment. Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964, did not directly refer to ELLs, it did allow for there to be a focus on the treatment of minority populations all across America. As language minority students, ( children who reside in homes where the main language is not English), are a minority population, the Civil Rights Act did allow for conversations concerning what to for these students to enter the discussion. With pressure from Shortly thereafter, the Bilingual Education Act of 1968 was established. The Bilingual Education Act did enhance the learning abilities for ELLs, however there were several issues with its’ first implementation. For example, the act gave competitive grants to school districts to use toward the creation of their own programs. This act was based on a voluntary basis, not a federal requirement. To be considered for the grant, the districts could only use the money toward resources for educational programs, training for teachers and teacher aides, development and dissemination of materials, and parent involvement projects. Provisions as to how each district used and distributed the money was foreseen on a local level, and extremely

The learning environment that ELL students have in the classroom has been impacted by the history of laws and bills passed by the board of education. Many school districts all over the United States are experiencing an increase in the enrollment of students who cannot speak, read, or write English in order to fully participate in their education. Numerous pieces in history took action in order to prevent these learners from risking their loss of opportunities. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prevents discrimination based on a person’s race, color, or nationality. In Lau v. Nichols of 1974, the Supreme Court stated that school districts have to take steps in order to help ELL students conquer language barriers and to enable them to participate fully in the districts’ educational programs. The case of Plyler vs. Doe 1982 stated that no school or school district may have the ability to forbid immigrant children the access to public education. No Child Left Behind (2001): Accountability, AYP, and standardized tests for ELLs. The 1990 legal document is a “force that outlines the identification, services, and compliance of school districts to ensure equal and comprehensible instruction to ELLs.” The document was signed on August 14, 1990 into the District Court. This act was the result of a class action complaint filed on behalf of eight minority rights advocacy groups in Florida. They claimed that The State Board of Education had not complied with its obligations under federal and

Before to the ratification of NCLB, the two main policies in effect relating to ESL students were The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Bilingual Education Act (Title VII of the ESEA) (Menken, 2010). The ESEA was put into action in the United States as a way to make sure that those who cannot afford to pay to go to school will have to opportunity to go to school and receive an education. The ESEA is the primary law that funds the pubic school system for kindergarten through twelfth grade. The Bilingual Education Act also provided the much-needed recognition that a student’s limited language can create a barrier to their education. The Bilingual Education Act (BEA) also set standards that required all schools to provide services that provided language support to non-native English speakers. The goal of this act was to provide defined support for all ELLs, as a way to even the playing field between native English speakers and non-native English speakers.

United States is a diverse country of many different races and languages. Even though many languages are spoken in the United States, English is the preferred language in the United States. Speaking English in America is the key to success. Without English, acquiring employment is almost impossible. More and more immigrants are attracted to the U.S every year, and the populations of immigrants, which do not know the American culture, continue to rise. This population must be assimilated into the United States in order for the population to find employment and function in the United States. Assimilation is the process by which an outsider becomes part of a new community by adopting its language and customs. Public schools are a vital place where the country’s customs, language, and culture, in general, can be taught. According to Ginsburg, ever since the 1960’s young immigrants and U.S born children, of immigrant parents, were sent to public schools with little to no understanding of the English language. These students were forced to “sink or swim.” The public school offered no help to LEP students. LEP (limited English proficiency) is term used to describe students whose level English language is low. As a result, many of these students began to drop out, but finally in 1968, the federal government passed the Bilingual Act, which paid special attention to students whose native language, was not English. This provided special funding to create and maintain bilingual

Barrot (2016) examined a number of qualitative case studies on English Language Learning and one of the primary lessons that was learned from his particular qualitative study conducted on how ESOL teacher beliefs and attitudes frame pedagogical approaches in multicultural classrooms is the influence of education on the teacher’s own personal experiences as learners. Additionally, beliefs and attitudes of language teachers are predicated upon practical knowledge gained from lived experiences, and not theoretical knowledge (Barrot, 2016).